Kmccord
Well-Known Member
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Gun builder vs gun builder
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Tom264
Well-Known Member
Last year I built a full blown custom.
Bought everything myself and put it together myself.
I have exactly $5,546.88 in my rifle.
Add my scope - $2,354.00 and we're up to $7,900.88
Add my suppressor $2,370.00 and now we're up to $9,254.88
That's ME putting it together.
Bought everything myself and put it together myself.
I have exactly $5,546.88 in my rifle.
Add my scope - $2,354.00 and we're up to $7,900.88
Add my suppressor $2,370.00 and now we're up to $9,254.88
That's ME putting it together.
Randy Hacksaw Dugan, haven't seen that in a while!
warrbuk
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2005
- Messages
- 334
Some rifles are super easy to get shooting bugholes and others not as easy. The guys charging a higher price usually have fired a limited # of rounds through the rifle and will provide a test target with it. If your a experienced reloader that probably won't matter. If your not I would suggest a "proven system". If you buy yourself a hotrod rifle and break in and develop your own load data you may burn up 1/4-1/2 of your barrel life (28 Nos W/ 195's).
My .02
My .02
And with that exact parts list giving it to those10 builders at the different pricing, which one will actually shoot the best for the money. It's the decision we all have to make and hope the builder isn't having a bad day
ntsqd
Well-Known Member
There's a little more to this. Once the good rep is established it takes some effort to maintain it. And word gets around. Once that happens they'll be buried in work. The easy way to cull your clients is to raise the price (I cannot foresee a future where I'm a GAP Client). It is also easy to think that "If we're getting so much business our prices might be too low." Which they probably are.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
I build my own....... which means I assemble my own. Some smiths assemble rifles and some build rifles. A good smith brings things to the table that assemblers don't, like experience, indepth knowledge of proper smithing processes, and very accurate and expensive equipment to do it all correctly. I have seen ruger and savage rifles shoot just as well as some very nice customs so pick your poison and comparisons. I do agree it seems odd there is a much of difference in price but who knows what they pay for the sum of the parts and what they determined is their need for labor rate. I also wrench on my own cars until I am over my head then I have to pay someone who knows what they are actually doing.
1wildcatfan
Well-Known Member
D'Arcy Echols had some pricey builds.
I'm one of the small builders you speak of…generally self taught but have a great friend that has mentored me some. I don't do it full time (I have my "real job") and I don't let it run me. Turning down stuff as recently as yesterday and often. The prices are directly related to over head…I have no employees, no store front (have a shop at home) and no CNC equipment. Takes me a lot more time to build one than the big guys but there isn't major magic in building a hunting gun. Some of the benchrest and 22lr guys have some magic pixy dust but generally speaking we are all doing the same work. Many, as has been mentioned, price on reputation and as you get bigger and doing more…there is a lot of "wasted" necessary evil time talking to customers…especially the guy that calls every week wanting a status. I normally get to "busy" to do that guys work the next time
As for parts, that discount comes in volume. The last 5 actions I've bought, I bought retail sales…they were better than dealer prices.
As for parts, that discount comes in volume. The last 5 actions I've bought, I bought retail sales…they were better than dealer prices.
Sounds like he got you to. Went out to check out some stocks for my 280ai build and got to sit behind some of his guns and have a look and get a feel of the different stocks and next thing I knew I was into a manners lrh stock and a tt315m. Best gun and glass I own glad I spent the $$$ .I, too, agree with @lancetkenyon. However, if you want to keep your costs down, don't ask him for a scope recommendation.Sorry, Brother, I could not resist.
How many hours does it take to chamber a barrel and assemble a rifle? The parts cost what they cost. Are they charging by the hour or quoting a flat price? And not talking about a nice wood stock made from scratch, which would be hours in itself.
Thus far, no. I have been behaving myself.
One factor I haven't seen mentioned yet is when Gunwerks builds a rifle it has to shoot their 'factory' ammo to their standard. They settled on a load for each cartridge and each rifle they build gets tested with that ammo. If for some reason it doesn't shoot well they pull the barrel and start over. That is expensive. It's not just the cost of another barrel, it's that plus the labor to pull it, chamber and thread and install the new barrel, test fire and prove that it shoots. If you want a long range rifle system that you can buy ammo for now and in the future that shoots excellent it costs money. Doesn't make sense to most handloaders, but if you have more money than time it is an excellent system. Most of us aren't that guy, but there are a lot of them out there. I wish I was that guy LOL.
